Fountain brush



Oct. 8, 1957 J. A. ELGES FOUNTAIN BRUSH Filed May 20, 1955 FOUNTAIN BRUSH Joseph A. Elges, Brentwood, M0. Application May 20, 1955, Serial No. 509,787

Claims. (c1. 15-138) This invention relates to fountain brushes and more particularly to a fountain brush of a type having a reservoir constituting a handle and a brush tip which is supplied with liquid from the reservoir.

Briefly, the present invention is directed to a fountain brush comprising a reservoir for liquid, a brush tip swivelly connected to the reservoir and adapted to receive liquid from the reservoir, and valve means for controlling the flow of liquid from the reservoir to the brush tip.

Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of a founatin brush of the class described in which the brush tip is swivelly mounted with respect to the reservoir so that it may be set at different angles with respect to the reservoir; the provision of such a fountain brush in which the valve may be actuated conveniently in any angled position of the brush tip when held in either hand; and the provision of a fountain brush which is reliable in operation. Other objects and fea: tures will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a fountain brush of the present invention illustrating three different angled positions;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the fountain brush of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawmgs.

Referring to the drawings, a fountain brush constructed in accordance with this invention is shown to comprise a reservoir 1 for ink or other liquid such as it may be desired to apply with the brush. The reservoir constitutes the brush handle. It comprises an externally knurled hollow cylinder closed at one end as indicated at 3 and open at its other end. Threaded in the open end of the cylinder is a head 5. This head has a depending boss 7 offset laterally from the center of the head. The boss has a flat side 9 facing in the direction toward the center of the head, and a threaded socket 11 extend ing inward from the fiat side 9. An inlet port or passage 13 extends through the head 5 and the boss 7 to the inner end of the socket 11 for flow of ink or other liquid from the reservoir to the socket. An annular groove 15 for a packing ring 17 is provided in the side 9 of the boss around the outer end of the socket.

At 19 is indicated a holder for a brush tip 21. The brush tip has an externally threaded ring 23 at its upper end. Secured in this ring at its upper end is a disk 25 nited States Patent having a central opening 27 and a depending central annular flange 29. The upper ends of the brush bristles are gripped between the ring 23 and the flange. The ring is threaded in a socket 31 in the bottom of the holder 19. The holder has a central projection 33 at the inner end of the socket 31 which enters the opening 27 in the disk 25. A flat packing ring 35 is provided between the inner end of the socket 31 and the disk 25 surrounding the projection 33. The brush tip may be replaced when necessary by removing it from the holderby threading the ring 23 out of the socket 31, and threading a new brush tip into the socket.

The holder ,19 has an'upwardly extending boss 37 otfset laterally from the, center of the holder. 'This boss: 37 has aninner flat side 39 facing in the direction toward the center of the holder, and an outer flat side 41, with an opening 43 extending through the boss from one side to the other; -A discharge port or'passage 45 for the ink or other liquid extends from the opening 43 through the boss and through the projection 33. The holder 19 is swivelly connected to the head 5 of the reservoir 1 by means of a tubular screw member 47 having a knurled head 49. The screw member extends through the opening 43 and is threaded into the socket 111 of the boss 7, with the inner side 39 of the boss 37 opposed to the inner side 9 of the boss 7, and with the packing ring 17 compressed between side 39 and the inner end of the groove 15. A packing ring 51 is compressed between the head 49 of the screw member and the side 39 of the boss 37.

The screw member has an unthreaded portion 53 which has a sliding fit in the opening 43. This portion is provided with an annular groove 55 and with a radial passage 57 from the interior of the screw member to the groove. With the parts assembled, the groove 55 is in communication with the passage 45. The screw member has a counterbore 59 at its end which is threaded in the socket 11. The inner end 61 of this counterbore is conical and constitutes a valve seat for a valve member 63 on a valve stem 65 axially slidable in the bore in the tubular screw member. The valve member and its stem are biased toward the closed position illustrated in Fig. 3 by a spring 67 reacting from the inner end of a reduced-diameter extension of socket 11 against the valve member. 'The end of the screw member falls short of the passage 13 so as not to block the latter. The valve stem has a reduceddiameter portion 69 immediately outward of the valve member to provide space for flow of liquid from socket 11 into the bore in the screw member and thence through the passage 57 when the valve member is opened (moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 against the bias of spring 67). A thumb button 71 for moving the valve stem is provided on the outer end of the valve stem. The screw member is provided with an internal annular groove 73 accommodating an O-ring packing member 75 for sealing engagement with the valve stem.

In using the fountain brush, the handle is filled with stencil fluid, ink, paint or the like by removing it from the head 5. The brush tip 21 is set at any desired angle relative to the handle by loosening the screw member 47, adjusting the brush holder 19 to the desired position, and then tightening the screw member to clamp the boss 37 against the boss 7. To obtain flow of liquid to the brush tip, the button 71 is pushed inward to open the valve member 63. The arrangement is such that the button is located for being pushed by the thumb of the right hand in any position of the handle from vertical to on the right side of the brush tip as viewed in Fig. 1, and for being pushed by the thumb of the left hand in any position of the brush from vertical to 90 on the left side of the brush tip as viewed in Fig. 1. It will also be observed that the parts of the 'brush ma y be readily disassembled for cleaning, and readily reassembled after cleaning.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changescould be made in the above constructions Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A fountain brush comprising a reservoir for liquid, a brush tip, a swivel connection between the brush tip and the reservoir passaged for flow of liquid from the reservoir to the brush tip in any angled position of the brush tip relative to the reservoir, said connection comprising a tubular screw member removably securing said reservoir and brush tip together and constituting a pivot member for angling of the brush tip relative to the reservoir, and a valve movable in said tubular screw member for controlling the flow of liquid from the reservoir to the brush tip.

2. A fountain brush comprising an elongate handle constituting a reservoir for liquid and having a head, a brush holder, a brush tip received in said holder, a swivel connection between said brush holder and said head passaged for flow of liquid from the reservoir to said brush tip in any angled position of the brush tip relative to the handle, said connection comprising a tubular screw member removably threaded in the head and extending from the head in a direction transverse to the length of the brush, said brush holder being pivotally mounted on said tubular screw member and being held in assembly with the head by the screw member, and a valve movable in said tubular screw member for controlling the flow of liquid from the reservoir to the brush tip.

3. A fountain brush comprising an elongate handle constituting a reservoir and having a head, a brush holder, a brush tip received in said holder, a boss on said head, a tubular screw member removablythreaded in said boss and extending from said boss in a direction transverse to the length of the brush, said brush holder having a boss provided with an opening receiving said tubular screw member and being adapted to swivel on said tubular screw member, said head, said tubular screw member and said brush holder being passaged for flow of liquid from the reservoir to the brush tip in any angled position of the brush tiprrelative to the handle, said tubular screw member holding the brush holder in assembly with said head, and a valve axially slidable in said tubular screw member for controlling the flow of liquid from the reservoir to the brush tip, said valve having a stem projecting from the tubular screw member.

4. A fountain brush comprising an elongate handle constituting a reservoir and having a head at its lower end, said head having a depending boss ofiset laterally from the center of the head, said boss having a socket extending inward from its side toward the center of the head, a tubular screw member threaded at its inner end in said socket, a brush holder having an upwardly ex tending boss oifset laterally from the center of the holder, said upwardly extending boss having an opening receiving the tubular member, a brush tip received in said holder, said tubular member having a head at its outer end for clampingthe upwardly extending boss against the depending boss, said head and the boss thereon hav ing a passage for'liquid from the reservoir to the socket, said holder and the upwardly extending boss thereon having a passage for liquid from the opening in said upwardly extending boss to the brush tip, said tubular memher having an annular groove in communication with the passage in the upwardly extending boss, said tubular member having a radial passage from its interior to said annular groove, said tubular member having a valve seat adjacent its inner end, a valve stem slidable in said tubular member. and extending out of the tubular member, a valve member at the inner end of said stem for engagement with said valve seat, and spring means biasing said valve member and stem in outward direction andnormally holding the valve member against the seat.

5. A fountain brush as set forth in claim 4 wherein the stem has an outer end portion having a sliding fit in the tubular member and a reduced-diameter inner end portion, the tubular member having an annular groove adjacent its outer end, and a packing ring in said groove sealing against said outer end portion of the stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 464,620 Decarie et al Dec. 8, 1891 630,600 Durant Aug. 8, 1899 2,255,879 Garvey Sept. 16, 1941 2,438,338 Horn Mar. 23, 1948 

